Chapter 3 Facility Management

Question 1

What are direct costs?

a. Costs incurred for services for which billing rates will be established such as husbandry activities
b. Costs associated with services regardless of whether billing rates have been established
c. Costs incurred in the support of a researcher’s specific program
d. Costs associated with the building expenses, operation of the physical plant, and depreciation

Answer 1

a. Costs incurred for services for which billing rates will be established such as husbandry activities

Question 2

Which costs are internal support costs?

a. Costs incurred for services for which billing rates will be established such as husbandry activities
b. Costs incurred for procedures performed by request of researchers in lieu of their laboratory personnel
c. Costs incurred for husbandry of the animals
d. Costs incurred for maintaining buildings, operation of the physical plant, and depreciation of equipment

Answer 2

d. Costs incurred for maintaining buildings, operation of the physical plant, and depreciation of equipment

Question 3

Which measure would be most effective at reducing personnel costs?

a. Eliminating census counts
b. Performing housekeeping duties after regular hours
c. Hiring an additional person to eliminate the use of overtime
d. Restructuring assignments to require less overtime

Answer 3

d. Restructuring assignments to require less overtime

Question 4

Who is typically responsible for space management in a facility?

a. The senior scientific staff with approval by the IACUC
b. The manager with the help of the supervisor of the husbandry staff
c. The manager with the input of the veterinary technicians and the veterinarians
d. The manager in collaboration with the veterinarians and senior scientific staff

Answer 4

d. The manager in collaboration with the veterinarians and senior scientific staff

Question 5

Which of the following steps should a lab animal facility manager take to ensure that the supplies and
equipment purchased meet the needs of the facility?
a. Let the purchasing agent shop around for even the smaller items.
b. Provide a general description for equipment and supplies.
c. Clearly justify purchases and educate the purchasing agents regarding the work and needs within the
facility.
d. Accept the possibility that the purchase of inferior, low priced equipment cannot be avoided.

Answer 5

c. Clearly justify purchases and educate the purchasing agents regarding the work and needs within the
facility.

Question 6

is animal feed a direct or indirect cost?

Answer 6

direct

Question 7

are utility expenses a direct or indirect cost?

Answer 7

indirect

Question 8

Rate setting for an institution is usually determined by which of the following?

a. PHS Policy
b. Animal Welfare Act Regulations
c. USDA Animal Care Policy Manual
d. A federal cost accounting and rate setting manual

Answer 8

. d. A federal cost accounting and rate setting manual

Question 9

Why are space surveys performed during the cost analysis process?

a. To determine the total square feet of area cleaned each week
b. To assign depreciation values to various types of water repellent flooring
c. To determine the square footage associated with fire code compliance
d. To assign square footage to designated cost centers

Answer 9

d. To assign square footage to designated cost centers

Question 10

The expenses associated with all the regulatory compliance efforts by an institution represent which type of
cost?
a. A direct cost
b. An indirect cost
c. A portion of both the direct and indirect costs
d. Neither a direct nor indirect cost

Answer 10

b. An indirect cost

Question 11

Which method is best for reducing physical space costs?

a. Adjusting space allocation so the animals are evenly distributed
b. Consolidating rooms and satellite facilities
c. Doubling the number of animals per cage
d. Storing surplus caging in occupied animal rooms

Answer 11

b. Consolidating rooms and satellite facilities

Question 12

When a standard operating procedure has been revised, what should be done with the older copy?

a. It should be removed from the active set of SOPs.
b. It should be appended to the newer version.
c. It should be stored alongside the current SOP version.
d. It should be marked with the updated changes, initialed by a manager, and used as is.

Answer 12

a. It should be removed from the active set of SOPs.

Question 13

How do you differentiate between direct and indirect costs?

a. Direct costs relate to husbandry and technical activities, and indirect are for general facility operations.
b. Direct costs are for daily operations, and indirect costs relate to general facility operations.
c. Direct costs require payment up front; indirect costs are paid over time.
d. Direct costs are known; indirect costs are projected.

Answer 13

a. Direct costs relate to husbandry and technical activities, and indirect are for general facility operations.

Question 14

Which of the following is not a basic step in the cost analysis of an animal resource facility?

a. Determine units of service provided, such as total animal care days.
b. Identify and list all unused vacation days by facility employees.
c. Allocate internal support costs to the appropriate cost centers.
d. Assign all direct costs to the appropriate cost centers.

Answer 14

b. Identify and list all unused vacation days by facility employees.

Question 15

When receiving animals at an institution, which of following is NOT a matter needing attention by a
manager?
a. There should be SOPs for receipt and inspection of the animal shipments at the time of delivery.
b. There should be housing space available and prepared for the animals.
c. The animals should be inspected to insure that all meet health criteria and specifications.
d. There should be an inspection by veterinary staff of animals in quarantine.

Answer 15

d. There should be an inspection by veterinary staff of animals in quarantine.

Question 16

Environmental monitoring systems should be in place to continuously monitor which of the listed items?

a. Power
b. Temperature
c. Humidity
d. All of the above

Answer 16

d. All of the above

Question 17

What is an appropriate starting point for preparing a budget of expenses for the next fiscal year?

a. The institution’s total budget
b. The amount of money spent during the previous fiscal year
c. The percentage of the total budget directly related to animal care
d. The amount spent by a comparable facility in the same region

Answer 17

b. The amount of money spent during the previous fiscal year

Question 18

what is the advantage of centralized facilities?

Answer 18

greater efficiency

Question 19

t or f: the largest proportion of costs associated with operating an animal facility related to personnel.

Answer 19

true

Question 20

billing rates should be based on _____

Answer 20

costs

Question 21

Recertification at specific intervals is required for which equipment?

a. Clothes washers and dryers for scrubs and surgical drapes
b. Refrigerators in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory
c. The safe used for secure storage of controlled substances
d. Biosafety cabinets located throughout the animal care facility and procedure areas

Answer 21

d. Biosafety cabinets located throughout the animal care facility and procedure areas

Question 22

Assigning all lab animal facility budgetary items to specific categories is valuable because it allows for which
of the following events?
a. Cost analysis and rate setting by institutional financial staff
b. Cost analysis when preparing for an AAALAC site visit
c. Technical service fee rate setting by the veterinary staff
d. Technical service fee rate setting by the research staff

Answer 22

a. Cost analysis and rate setting by institutional financial staff

Question 23

What is the standard fiscal budgetary period of time?

a. Four months
b. Six months
c. Twelve months
d. Five years

Answer 23

c. Twelve months

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a revenue-producing cost?

a. Taking blood samples for health screening
b. Taking blood samples for an investigator’s study
c. Maintaining records for USDA
d. Cleaning the feed storage room.

Answer 24

b. Taking blood samples for an investigator’s study

Question 25

What is the first step in determining total cost accumulation?

a. Assign all expenses to specific cost centers.
b. Allocate nonrevenue producing cost centers to revenue producing cost centers.
c. Assign all costs assigned to revenue producing services.
d. List all direct and indirect facility operations expenses.

Answer 25

d. List all direct and indirect facility operations expenses.

Question 26

If there is a deviation on a lab animal housing room checklist, the manager should do which of the following?

a. Report any deviation, no matter how minor, to the IACUC Chair as soon as possible.
b. Disregard the deviation since it probably was not too important.
c. Require the husbandry technician to follow-up and resolve the problem independently.
d. Explain on the form the reason for that deviation, describe any resolution, and sign or initial that note.

Answer 26

d. Explain on the form the reason for that deviation, describe any resolution, and sign or initial that note.

Question 27

What is the advantage of using decentralized lab animal facilities?

a. They are more cost effective.
b. They allow for more efficient use of equipment.
c. They are generally more convenient for the researchers.
d. They are more accessible to lab animal facility management.

Answer 27

c. They are generally more convenient for the researchers.

Question 28

The review of revenues and costs should be compared at least \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ to identify any adjustments
 that need to be made for variances.
a. annually
b. biennially
c. quarterly
d. monthly

Answer 28

d. monthly

Question 29

The greatest problem related to purchasing excessive supplies is which of the following?

a. Negative budget impacts and the lack of storage space
b. Excessive paperwork and computer time for office staff during order processing
c. Difficulty with inventory control and pilfering
d. Loss of quality as supplies remain a long time in storage

Answer 29

a. Negative budget impacts and the lack of storage space

Question 30

When obtaining animals for research, the purchase order must include which of the following?

a. Animal numbers approved by the researcher
b. Species and strain approved by the veterinary staff and husbandry supervisors
c. Species, strain, and number approved by the IACUC in the researcher’s protocol
d. Species, strain, and number of animals based on the previous order for that researcher

Answer 30

c. Species, strain, and number approved by the IACUC in the researcher’s protocol

Question 31

Which of the following is not a good suggestion for writing clear standard operating procedures?

a. Use clear figures and diagrams to reinforce steps and statements.
b. Use acronyms without defining them.
c. Keep all steps stated in chronological order.
d. Use simple words and short sentences.

Answer 31

b. Use acronyms without defining them.

Question 32

Which of the following activities are generally done by the staff of the purchasing department?

a. Heading to the local discount store to take advantage of sales on paper goods.
b. Negotiating both long term contracts and purchases of large equipment.
c. Signing long-term contracts after the negotiation process by the lab animal manager.
d. Gathering all information needed for the decision to purchase large equipment.

Answer 32

b. Negotiating both long term contracts and purchases of large equipment.

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of a direct cost center?
a. Expenses associated with travel by departmental professionals and technicians to continuing education
meetings
b. Expenses associated with overhead costs
c. Expenses associated with a specific type of anesthetic drug for swine
d. Expenses associated with occupational health programs for animal care and research staff members

Answer 33

c. Expenses associated with a specific type of anesthetic drug for swine

Question 34

What is the most effective strategy for ensuring that daily lab animal care tasks are completed?

a. Calling the Director to explain hourly progress
b. Summarizing the work accomplished to one’s supervisor at break times
c. Using checklists and specific forms as tasks are completed
d. Using checklists and forms at the end of a week

Answer 34

c. Using checklists and specific forms as tasks are completed

Question 35

Which characteristics promote good management of a facility’s standard operating procedures?

a. Easy accessibility, logical grouping by type of activity, and maintenance by a designated employee
b. Easy accessibility, storage in a secure place, and rotating responsibility for tracking the documents
c. Easy accessibility, listed in alphabetical order, and shared maintenance responsibility among staff
d. None of the above

Answer 35

a. Easy accessibility, logical grouping by type of activity, and maintenance by a designated employee